Maloney to challenge Gillibrand in the Democratic primary
Manhattan Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is reportedly planning to announce her intention to run for the US Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton earlier this year. There have been murmurs from downstate for months now with talk of a possible challenge to Kirsten Gillibrand. While she once seemed very vulnerable, the junior senator is looking increasingly like the heavy favorite to win election in her own right to the Senate.
Over the past several weeks, possible major contenders in the Democratic primary such as Representative Steve Israel from Long Island have opted out of running against Gillibrand in 2010 partly because of strong pressure from the White House and Senator Schumer. But Maloney, while far from being the worst member of the House, is still not the kind of Jerry Nadler progressive that some think of when they imagine a Manhattan Democrat. And as Gillibrand moves farther to the left on issues such as marriage equality, any potential primary would probably end up being more about style rather than policy differences.
From CQ Politics:
Regardless of the timing or venue, several of her New York colleagues, including Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Anthony D. Weiner, said Maloney has told them she will run. She has also indicated to political allies in her “silk stocking” district on Manhattan’s Upper East Side that she is preparing a bid.
[snip]
That is something national Democrats have tried to avoid, with New York’s senior senator, Charles E. Schumer , Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Menendez and the White House all taking pains to clear Gillibrand’s path to the nomination.
While Maloney herself has yet to announce it formally, it does look quite possible that we will have a primary battle next year.
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[...] year. McCarthy, a longtime gun-control advocate, had been talking up a contest with Gillibrand. But Carolyn Maloney from Manhattan is now notifying her colleagues that she intends to run in the Democratic primary [...]
I disagree with the suggestion that a primary against Gillibrand would be more about style that policy differences. Try as she might, Gilibrand will not be able to walk away from her conservative record on gun control, immigration and tobacco, among other issues.
Her two potential primary challengers, Carolyn Maloney and Jon Cooper, both have strong records as true progressives. Cooper in particular has an interesting background. He’s not only a seasoned lawmaker but also a successful business owner. Cooper’s manufacturing company on Long Island has a union shop and has NEVER laid off an employee - pretty impressive!
A primary will ensure that we have the strongest Democratic candidate for the general election. Let Democratic voters in NY decide who our candidate should be!
By all means we should have a primary, I have no problem with that on principle. But if this race turns into “I supported X, while Gillibrand opposed X in the House, but now supports X in the US Senate” then it’s time to throw in the towel. I don’t care that she opposed gay marriage, I only care that she supports it now. And speaking for myself, I tended to agree with her on the issues that you mention (guns, immigration, tobacco), but she has since reversed course.
As for Maloney, her record in Congress is fraught with much more important mistakes than Gillibrand’s. I’m talking specifically about her decision to support the invasion of Iraq. This in itself is not a disqualifier, but Maloney is certainly not the type of progressive that Jerry Nadler is for example.
I’ve gotten emails from Jonathan Tasini sounding like he’s gearing up to challenge Gillibrand too. I liked him when he ran against Hillary in the primary for Senate (I even voted for him).
This time, however, I’m not inclined to actively oppose Gillibrand at this particular point. I have no problem with there being a primary, of course.